Concealed gun belt, holster and magazine holders

ABSTRACT

Holster systems useable with pants including a plurality of outer belt loops and a plurality of inner belt openings around a waist portion of the pants are described. The inner belt openings may be disposed at a first spacing around the waist portion. A holster or holder may also be provided including an opening configured to at least partially receive a firearm, preferably a handgun, and a plurality of slots configured to receive a strap of webbing or similar material therethrough. The slots may be spaced apart from one other at approximately the same distance as the first spacing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 37 CFR § 1.78(a) to U.S.Provisional Application 62/063,254, filed Oct. 13, 2014 and titled“CONCEALED GUN BELT, HOLSTER AND MAGAZINE HOLDERS,” the contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Police and military personnel typically employ a variety of tacticalgear to hold weapons, magazines, and other equipment on their personwhen not in active use. However, these types of holsters, pouches, etc.,are usually not well suited for the concealed carry of such equipment.In today's environment, the needs of protective service details,undercover law enforcement and intelligence personnel, as well asprivate citizens, call for more effective means of carrying weapons,magazines, and other equipment in unobtrusive, yet accessible, ways.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to clothing and holsters thatare adapted for improving the wearer's ability to secure a firearm, suchas a pistol, and weapon magazines on their person, without the need forload bearing equipment or external holsters.

According to first aspects of the invention, pants (trousers, shorts,etc.) may be provided including one or more of outer belt loops around awaist portion of the pants; front pockets; back pockets; inner beltopenings around the waist portion of the pants; an inner pocket withinat least one of the front pockets; and/or a hidden pocket that has anopening along a seam disposed between at least some of the outer beltloops and the openings of front and/or back pockets.

In embodiments, the inner pocket may be sized and configured to hold atleast one of a smart phone, or a folding knife with a blade length over3 inches. For examples, the inner pocket may have a width of about 3-4inches and a depth of about 4-6 inches. In embodiments, each innerpocket may have a width of approximately 3 inches, and a depth ofapproximately 5.5 inches.

In embodiments, each inner pocket may have a top opening that startsabout 1 inch below the opening of the front pocket.

In embodiments, the inner belt openings may provide access to aconcealed belt slot that runs at least partially around the waistportion of the pants.

In embodiments, the inner belt openings may be spaced approximatelyequally around the waist portion of the pants, or they may be arrangedin pairs that are disposed around the waist portion of the pants.

In embodiments, the inner belt openings may be cut in a piece ofmaterial that extends at least partially around the waist portion,and/or formed between pieces of fabric that extend at least partiallyaround the waist portion.

In embodiments, a securing mechanism may be disposed in the belt slot,including, for example, a stiffener, at least two unlike materialsinside of the belt slot that provide a non-slip surface, etc.

In embodiments, the opening of the hidden pocket may be between one ormore bar tacks, or other reinforced attachments, of the seam, and/or mayinclude a stiffening or friction-enhancing material therein.

In embodiments, the hidden pocket has a width of approximately 2-5inches and a depth of approximately 5-8 inches.

Embodiments may include a belt, retaining strap, or other elongatedelement woven through at least some of the belt openings and at leastpartially disposed in the belt slot.

According to further aspects of the invention, methods of manufacturingpants may include one or more steps of attaching outer belt loops arounda waist portion of the pants; providing front pockets; providing backpockets; providing a plurality of inner belt openings around the waistportion of the pants; providing an inner pocket within at least one ofthe front pockets; and/or providing at least one hidden pocket that hasan opening along a seam disposed between at least some of the outer beltloops and the openings of the front and/or back pockets.

In embodiments, the inner pocket may be sized and configured to hold atleast one of a smart phone, a folding knife with a blade length over 3inches, or similar accessory.

In embodiments, each inner pocket may have a top opening that startsabout 1 inch below the opening of the front pocket. In embodiments, eachinner pocket may have a width of approximately 2-4 inches, preferablyabout 3 inches, and a depth of approximately 4-6 inches, preferablyabout 5.5 inches.

In embodiments, the inner belt openings may provide access to aconcealed belt slot that runs at least partially around the waistportion of the pants.

In embodiments, the inner belt openings may be spaced approximatelyequally around the waist portion of the pants, or they may be arrangedin pairs that are disposed around the waist portion of the pants.

In embodiments, the inner belt openings may be cut in a piece ofmaterial that extends at least partially around the waist portion,and/or formed between pieces of fabric that extend at least partiallyaround the waist portion.

Embodiments may include disposing a belt retention mechanism in the beltslot, the belt retention mechanism including, for example, a stiffener,sewn-in hooking material, reinforcements and/or injection molded hookingfeatures.

In embodiments, the opening of the hidden pocket may be between one ormore bar tacks, or other reinforced attachments, of the seam.

In embodiments, the hidden pocket has a width of approximately 2-5inches and a depth of approximately 5-8 inches.

Embodiments may include inserting a belt, retaining strap or otherelongated member through at least some of the inner openings and into atleast part of the belt slot.

In embodiments, the belt, retaining strap or other elongated member maycomprise a length of select materials that prevent slipping and enhanceholster stabilization, such as BioThane®, nylon, etc.

According to further aspects of the invention, a holster system mayinclude a holder with an opening configured to at least partiallyreceive a firearm, preferably a handgun, and a plurality of slotsconfigured to receive a strap of webbing or similar materialtherethrough. In embodiments, the holder may be a substantiallymonolithic piece of material (e.g. thermoplastic elastomer) that is atleast one of molded, machined, cast, or 3-D patterned. In embodiments,the outer surface of the holder may be substantially symmetrical aboutthe middle axis.

In embodiments, the outer surface of the holder may be relativelysmooth, and devoid of attachment mechanisms such as loops, hooks, etc.

In embodiments, the plurality of slots may include a front slot that isforward of the opening, a back slot that is rearward of the opening, andat least one tilt slot that extends at least partially below, and at adifferent angle than, at least one of the front slot or the back slot.

In embodiments, the front slot and the second slot may be spaced apart afirst distance that is approximately the same as a spacing between beltopenings on a pair of pants.

According to further aspects of the invention, a holster system mayinclude pants including a plurality of outer belt loops and a pluralityof inner belt openings around a waist portion of the pants, the innerbelt openings disposed at a first spacing around the waist portion; anda holster including an opening configured to at least partially receivea firearm, preferably a handgun, and a plurality of slots configured toreceive a strap of webbing or similar material therethrough, the slotsspaced apart from one other at approximately the same distance as thefirst spacing.

In embodiments, a plurality of different holsters may be provided, eachof the plurality of holsters configured to receive a differently sizedhandgun, and having the same slot spacing.

Embodiments may also include an elongated member including a strapportion and a pair of extensions that are attached to the strap portionand that are configured to hold the elongated member in a position alongthe waist portion of the pants via engagement with the inner beltopenings.

Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may beset forth or apparent from consideration of the following detaileddescription, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood thatboth the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detaileddescription are exemplary and intended to provide further explanationwithout limiting the scope of the invention claimed. The detaileddescription and the specific examples, however, indicate only preferredembodiments of the invention. Various changes and modifications withinthe spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention, are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the detailed description serve to explain the principlesof the related technology. No attempt is made to show structural detailsof technology in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamentalunderstanding of the invention and various ways in which it may bepracticed. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial front view of an exemplary pair of pants accordingto aspects of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial rear view of an exemplary pair of pants according toaspects of the invention.

FIGS. 3A-3C depict various inner belt opening arrangements according toaspects of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of an exemplary pair of pants accordingto aspects of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial front view of an exemplary pair of pants including apartial inner belt holding a handgun according to aspects of theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a partial front view of an exemplary pair of pants including apartial inner belt holding a handgun holster according to aspects of theinvention.

FIG. 7 is a partial rear view of an exemplary pair of pants includinghidden pockets according to aspects of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial front view of an exemplary pair of pants includinghidden pockets according to aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 9A-9C depict an exemplary holder according to aspects of theinvention.

FIGS. 10A-10B depict exemplary retaining straps according to aspects ofthe invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view of an exemplary holster and retaining strapaccording to aspects of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a side view of an exemplary holster and retaining strapaccording to aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 13 and 14 depict aspects of an exemplary retaining strap beinginserted into retaining slots according to aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 15A-15B are partial front views of an exemplary pair of pantsincluding a partial inner belt holding a handgun holster in differentorientations according to aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particularmethodology, protocols, etc., described herein, as these may vary as theskilled artisan will recognize. It is also to be understood that theterminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention. It also is to be noted that as used herein and in theappended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include theplural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus,for example, a reference to “a belt loop” is a reference to one or morebelt loops and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical terms used herein have the samemeanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art towhich the invention pertains. The embodiments of the invention and thevarious features and advantageous details thereof are explained morefully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples thatare described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings anddetailed in the following description. It should be noted that thefeatures illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale,and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments asthe skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly statedherein. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniquesmay be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of theinvention. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate anunderstanding of ways in which the invention may be practiced and tofurther enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments ofthe invention. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which isdefined solely by the appended claims and applicable law.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show front and rear views (respectively) of an exemplarywaist area of pants 100 (trousers, shorts, etc.) according to aspects ofthe invention. Pants 100 include outer belt loops 112, front pockets110, back pockets 130, inner belt openings 120, inner pockets 114, 116within the front pockets 110; and hidden pockets 140. However, variousother embodiments of the invention need not include all of thesefeatures.

Inner belt openings 120 may allow access to a concealed belt slot (e.g.not open to the outside of the pants) between the inner and outer fabricof the waistband. Inner belt openings 120 may be spaced substantiallyequally apart, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3A, or they may be arrangedin pairs (with a larger gap between each pair), such as shown in FIG.3B.

In embodiments, a belt, retaining strap or other elongated member may bedisposed at least partially in the concealed belt slot, and may comprisea length of select materials that prevent slipping and enhance holsterstabilization, such as BioThane@, nylon, etc.

In embodiments, the concealed belt slot may run substantiallythroughout, or only partly around the waistband of the pants.

In some embodiments, the inner belt openings 120 may be cut in a pieceof material that extends at least partially around the waist portion. Insome examples, the “openings” may be formed between, or reinforced by,pieces of fabric that extend at least partially around the waistportion, such as elements 124 shown in FIG. 3C′.

In some embodiments, a securing mechanism may be disposed in the beltslot (as generally indicated by the dashed line 202 in FIG. 4),including a stiffener, sewn-in hooking material, reinforcements, and/orinjection molded hooking features, etc. The securing mechanism may beconfigured to prevent a belt or retaining strap disposed in the beltslot from pulling out, e.g. when a holster is secured to the belt.

With a belt, retaining strap or other elongated member 210 threadedthrough the concealed belt slot and the openings, a firearm, such ashandgun 300, may be directly secured in the waistband of the pants (e.g.as shown in FIG. 5), or a low-profile holster 220 may be secured byrouting the belt/webbing over and/or through attachment points on theholster (such as shown in FIG. 6). It is noted that, although FIG. 6shows webbing running substantially behind the holster, an alternativearrangement may be to run the webbing substantially over the holster,and back into the concealed belt slot (as described further in FIG. 12).

Returning to FIG. 2, hidden pockets 140 have openings (approximately thewidth of direction C) along the seam 150, which is disposed between theouter belt loops 112 and the openings of back pockets 130. Placing theopening for the hidden pockets 140 along the seam 150 allows the pocketsto be unobtrusive during normal wear, and can allow things like cash orcredit cards to be placed in a pocket that is not apparent to casualobservation. Hidden pockets 140 may also be sized and configured to holdfirearm magazines 310 or the like (such as shown in FIG. 7), and mayhave width C and depth B sized accordingly. For example, for a 30 roundM4 magazine, the width may be about 4 inches and the depth may be about7 inches. Pockets for handgun magazines may be smaller, e.g. around 2inches×3-5 inches. Multiple hidden pockets may be positioned adjacent toeach other, or spaced apart, more or less than shown in FIG. 2. In someexamples, the hidden pockets can be sized (larger or smaller) toconceal/store rifle or pistol magazine for quick access. Additionally,the hidden pockets can be sized to retain a full size pistol 300 withoutthe need for a holster (e.g. with the width between 3-6 inches and depthbetween 6-8 inches).

In embodiments, the opening of the hidden pocket may be between one ormore bar tacks 142, 144, or other reinforced attachments, of the seam.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, inner pockets 114, 116, 414 and/or 416 may besized and configured to hold at least one of a smart phone 402, afolding knife 404 (e.g. with a blade length over 3 inches), or otheraccessories. In embodiments, each inner pocket may have a top openingthat starts about 1 inch below the opening of the front pocket, as shownin FIG. 1. In other examples, the opening may be closer to the actualpocket opening, like inner pocket 414 in FIG. 8. In some examples, theinner pocket may have a different orientation than that of the pocket110, e.g. the seams and/or opening of the inner pocket may be aligned atdifferent angles than that of the pocket 110, such as generally shown inFIG. 8, inner pocket 416. This can assist, for example, in helping toprevent items in the inner pockets from falling out. In embodiments,each inner pocket may have a width of approximately 2-4 inches,preferably about 3 inches, and a depth of approximately 4-6 inches,preferably about 5.5 inches.

According to further aspects of the invention, methods of manufacturingpants may include assembly of parts such as those described above usingtechniques as understood by those of skill in the art, and which are notdescribed in unnecessary detail herein.

According to further aspects of the invention, a holster system mayinclude a holder 500 like shown in FIGS. 9A-9C. FIG. 9A is a side view,FIG. 9B is a top-down view, and FIG. 9C is a rear view. As best seen inFIG. 9A, holder 500 may include a plurality of slots 511-513 configuredto allow a retaining strap or similar material to pass through. As bestseen in FIG. 9B, the holder 500 may also include an opening 502configured to at least partially receive a firearm, preferably a handgun(see also FIG. 6). The holder 500 may be a substantially monolithicpiece of thermoplastic elastomer or similar material that is at leastone of molded, machined, cast, or 3-D patterned. In embodiments, theouter surface 504 of the holder 500 may be substantially symmetricalabout the middle axis (e.g. axis “A” looking down on the holster asshown in FIG. 9B, looking from head on, and/or from behind as shown inFIG. 9C). The holder 500 can be substantially rigid and maintain thematching contours of the opposing surfaces. This can allow the holsterto be flipped and used ambidextrously, without changing the surfacecontour of the holster. In embodiments, the outer surface of the holder500 may be relatively smooth, and devoid of attachment mechanisms suchas loops, hooks, etc. In some instances, the slots 511-513 can bereplaced, or supplemented, with surface contours that allow the holsterto be secured between the belt and the pants without threading the beltthrough the pants.

As also shown in FIGS. 9A, 15A and 15B, the plurality of slots mayinclude a front slot 511 that is forward of the opening 502, a back slot512 that is rearward of the opening 502, and at least one tilt slot 513that extends at least partially below and/or above, and at a differentangle than, at least one of the front slot 511 or the back slot 512.This allows the holster to be mounted at a different angle with respectto the belt, as shown in FIGS. 15A-15B. In some examples, the holstersystem may include hooks or other attachment means that allow theholster to be secured in alternative ways.

In embodiments, the front slot 511 and the back slot 512 may be spacedapart a first distance that is approximately the same as a spacingbetween inner belt openings on a pair of pants, such as those describedherein.

Although described in the context of a firearm holster, “holders” asdescribed herein may be configured to hold various different items, suchas pistol magazines, rifle magazines, radios, flashlights, Tasers, maceor pepper spray, folding or fixed blade knives, or any other piece ofequipment that a user may want to secure to their person. In someexamples, a holster system may include a holder that is configured tohold a firearm, and one or more other holders configured to hold one ormore magazines for the firearm, each of the holders configured (e.g.with appropriately spaced slots) to be secured to similar belt openingsusing retaining straps that are appropriately sized for the individualholder.

Returning to FIG. 6, a holster system may include pants 100 with aplurality of outer belt loops 110 and a plurality of inner belt openings120 around a waist portion of the pants, the inner belt openings 120disposed at a first spacing around the waist portion, and a holster 220including an opening configured to at least partially receive a firearm,such as handgun 300, and a plurality of slots (such as shown in FIG. 9A)configured to receive a retaining strap 210 therethrough. The slots onthe holder 220 may be spaced apart from one other at approximately thesame distance as the first spacing, or at a multiple of the firstspacing. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the slots ofthe holder 220 are spaced apart at a distance that is approximately 4times the distance between each of the inner belt openings 120, allowingfine adjustment of the location of holder 220 around the waistband. Inembodiments, a plurality of different holders 220 may be provided, eachof which may be configured to receive a differently sized handgun buthave the same slot spacing.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show additional details of exemplary retaining straps.As shown in FIG. 10A, a retaining strap 601 may include a strap portion610, and retaining elements 612. In some examples, the strap portion andthe retaining elements may be made from different materials, may havedifferent thicknesses, or may be configured to have differentflexibility. For example, the retaining elements 612 may be made fromplastic, and the strap portion 610 may be made from nylon webbing. Inthe example retaining strap 601 shown in FIG. 10A, the retainingelements 612 have free ends that are biased toward the ends of theretaining strap 601. This may be achieved, for example, by attaching oneor more pieces of retaining element material to the strap portion 610.In the example retaining strap 602 shown in FIG. 10B, the retainingelements 614 have free ends that are biased toward the middle of theretaining strap 602.

As further shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a retaining strap 600 may berelatively small compared to a complete waist belt, e.g. about 1.5-3×the length of the holder 500, or 8-12 inches long. The retaining strap600 may include a short length of different material (e.g. at 620 orother part of the strap portion 610 or retaining elements 612, 614) thatprevents slipping and enhance holster stabilization, such as BioThane®,nylon, etc. The retaining strap can be routed substantially behind (asin FIG. 11) or in front (as in FIG. 12) of the holder 200, and can allowthe holder 200 to be secured to the waist belt in either left or rightorientation.

As further shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a retaining strap 600 may beinserted into inner belt openings 120 (see FIG. 13) and prevented frompulling back out via retaining elements 616. FIG. 14 shows one side ofan example in which a strap portion 630 extends away from retainingelement 616 and the junction of retaining element 616 and strap portion630 engages with the inner waistband fabric (or other reinforcingmaterial) 650 to prevent the retaining strap from withdrawing from theconcealed belt slot. In this example, the strap portion could extendaround a holder (like 500), and enter another inner belt opening 120(not shown) with a similar engagement mechanism, which would positionthe holder 500 along the waistband without allowing the retaining strap600 to pull out of the concealed belt slot while the pants are worn viatension in direction “X.” With the pants removed, tension on theretaining strap 600 may be released, and the retaining strap 600extracted from the concealed belt slot by pushing the retaining element616 opposite direction “X” until the junction is no longer engaged withthe fabric 650.

In some examples, the retaining strap shown in FIGS. 11-14 may include apair of strap portions that are configured to be inserted in the beltslot, and a middle portion attached to each of the strap portions andconfigured to engage with a holster. The middle portion may be attachedto the strap portions at positions such that each of the strap portions,or a stiffener attached to the strap portions, extend beyond theattachment positions.

FIGS. 15A and 15B show how a holder 500 may be positioned at differentangles by routing the retaining strap 600 through different slots. InFIG. 15A, the retaining strap 600 is routed through a back slot 512,resulting in a “flat” angle with the opening 502 substantially parallelwith the waistband of the pants. In FIG. 15B, the retaining strap 600 isrouted through another slot 513, resulting in the opening 502 beingnon-parallel with the waistband of the pants.

Although described in the context of a concealed belt slot, theretaining strap and holder configurations described herein may also beapplied in various other contexts, such as attaching the holder to othertactical equipment or clothing with similar openings that the retainingstrap may engage with.

While various embodiments have been described above, it is to beunderstood that the examples and embodiments described above are forillustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes inlight thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art, and areto be included within the spirit and purview of this application andscope of the appended claims. Therefore, the above description shouldnot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention as defined bythe claims.

1. Pants, comprising: a plurality of outer belt loops around a waistportion of the pants; a plurality of front pockets; a plurality of backpockets; and at least one of: a plurality of inner belt openings aroundthe waist portion of the pants, the inner belt openings providing accessto a concealed belt slot that runs at least partially around the waistportion of the pants; an inner pocket within at least one of the frontpockets, the inner pocket having a width of approximately 3-4 inches anda depth of approximately 4-6 inches; and at least one hidden pocket thathas an opening along a seam disposed between at least some of the outerbelt loops and the openings of front and/or back pockets, wherein thehidden pocket has a width of approximately 2-5 inches and a depth ofapproximately 5-8 inches.
 2. The pants of claim 1, wherein the innerbelt openings are spaced approximately equally around the waist portionof the pants.
 3. The pants of claim 1, wherein the inner belt openingsare arranged in pairs that are disposed around the waist portion of thepants.
 4. The pants of claim 1, wherein the inner belt openings are atleast one of cut in a piece of material that extends at least partiallyaround the waist portion, or formed between pieces of fabric that extendat least partially around the waist portion.
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein each inner pocket has a top opening that starts about 1 inchbelow the opening of the front pocket.
 6. The pants of claim 1, whereineach inner pocket has a width of approximately 3 inches, and a depth ofapproximately 5.5 inches.
 7. The pants of claim 1, the opening of thehidden pocket is between one or more bar tacks, or other reinforcedattachments, of the seam.
 8. The pants of claim 1, wherein the hiddenpocket includes a stiffening or friction-enhancing material therein. 9.The pants of claim 1, further comprising a securing mechanism disposedin the belt slot, including at least two unlike materials inside of thebelt slot that provide a non-slip surface, increasing a surface tensionalong the length of a retaining strap inserted therein.
 10. The pants ofclaim 1, further comprising a retaining strap woven through at leastsome of the belt openings and at least partially disposed in the beltslot.
 11. A method of manufacturing pants, comprising: attaching aplurality of outer belt loops around a waist portion of the pants;providing a plurality of front pockets; providing a plurality of backpockets; and at least one of: providing a plurality of inner beltopenings around the waist portion of the pants, the inner belt openingsproviding access to a concealed belt slot that runs at least partiallyaround the waist portion of the pants; providing an inner pocket withinat least one of the front pockets, the inner pocket having a width ofapproximately 3-4 inches and a depth of approximately 4-6 inches; andproviding at least one hidden pocket that has an opening along a seamdisposed between at least some of the outer belt loops and the openingsof front and/or back pockets, wherein the hidden pocket has a width ofapproximately 2-5 inches and a depth of approximately 5-8 inches. 12.The method of claim 11, further comprising inserting a retaining strapthrough at least some of the inner openings and into at least part ofthe belt slot.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the retaining strapcomprises a short length of select materials that prevent slipping andenhance holster stabilization, such as BioThane®, nylon, etc.
 14. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the retaining strap comprises a pair ofopposing extensions that are configured to engage with the interior beltopenings to assist in securing the retaining strap.
 15. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the retaining strap comprises a pair of strap portionsthat are configured to be inserted in the belt slot, and a middleportion attached to each of the strap portions and configured to engagewith a holster, the middle portion being attached to the strap portionsat positions such that each of the strap portions extend beyond theattachment positions.
 16. The method of claim 11, further comprisingdisposing a belt retention mechanism in the belt slot, the beltretention mechanism including sewn-in hooking material and/orreinforcements and/or injection molded hooking features. 17-22.(canceled)
 23. A gear retention system, comprising: a holder with anopening configured to at least partially receive a piece of equipmentand a plurality of slots configured to receive a strap of webbing orsimilar material therethrough, and a retaining strap having a length ofapproximately 8-12 inches, and including a pair of strap portions thatare configured to be inserted in a belt slot, and a middle portionattached to each of the strap portions and configured to engage with theholder via the slots, the middle portion attached to the strap portionsat positions such that each of the strap portions, or a stiffenerattached to the strap portions, extend beyond the attachment positions.24. The gear retention system of claim 23, wherein the piece ofequipment is at least one of a firearm, a pistol magazine, a riflemagazine, a radio, a flashlight, a mace or pepper spray, or a knife.